Vivek Oberoi fell in love with acting at only four year of age

With his first reality show on Zee TV ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ having premiered on Saturday, February 23, actor Vivek Oberoi reveals how early in life he fell in love with acting! Vivek makes his TV debut with ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ as a judge along with the gorgeous Sonali Bendre and the much-celebrated film-maker Anurag Basu on the talent hunt show that aims to encourage and cultivate acting talent amongst children in the age group of 5 to 12 years,

The actor says he was barely four years old when the acting ka keeda bit him nice and hard! Vivek’s teachers had chosen him and his friend to play small roles in a school skit at Juhu’s Besant Montessory school where he studied. But Vivek’s friend had all the interesting lines to deliver while stylishly holding a gun, and that was something that Vivek was dying to do. As it turned out when the arclights came on, Vivek’s friend froze out of nervousness and refused to come out on the stage. That is when Vivek came to the rescue … Seizing the gun from his friend, he took centrestage and delivered his friend’s lines with aplomb. The applause and the adrenaline rush that followed is something Vivek remembers even today as the roots of his love affair with acting!

Soon thereafter, Vivek got enrolled in the Trinity College of London where he underwent a speech and drama course under the able tutelage of Aunty Jer Wadia. Later, his four years at the Mayo Boarding school in Ajmer saw him writing, directing and acting in several plays for the cultural nights and invariably bagging the best actor and the best drama awards. Vivek’s most memorable drama competition in school was one where most of his actors called in sick on the eve of the cultural night. Given how painstakingly he had written and directed the play, Vivek decided that the show must go on … as a last minute resort, he got one of his friends to help him backstage with multiple costume changes and played not one but four characters in the same play!

As an hungry-to-be-actor youth, Vivek had initially been rejected by the authorities at the famous Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai. But not one to give up, Vivek and his troupe of actors decided to perform short impromptu skits in its cafeteria for the patrons who step out for a muffin and coffee during the show intervals. These flash mob like performances at Prithvi Theatre landed him his first plum theatre project of ‘Begum Sumroo’ by Alyque Padamsee. Since then, there has been no looking back for this heartthrob who went on to get the meatiest of roles right since his debut in ‘Company’.

Now, Vivek is all excited about his debut on television and said, “Over the years, I’ve received many offers to work on television but it had to be a show that I connected with. Besides, I’ve recently turned Papa and it’s the ideal time for me to be surrounded by mischievous kids. It’ll give me a good heads up on what’s coming my way!” He added, “My role on the show is more like that of a big brother to the kids who will guide them. Had there been such wonderful avenues for acting when I was a kid, I’d have surely participated! Also an opportunity to work with Zee TV is very special as my father (Suresh Oberoi) has also made his TV debut on Zee TV.”

The show will be hosted by the vivacious and beautiful Ragini Khanna and the charming Rithvik Dhanjani. In the coming weeks, ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ will put its Top 18 child contestants through a series of tasks and challenges that will groom them as actors and test their creativity, spontaneity and acting ability.